Philippians 3:12-14 says: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
This verse served as a reminder to the people in Philippi that there must never be a stalemate or complacency in their spiritual growth. It also serves as the same reminder for believers today.
In Matthew 13 we read about the parable of the sower. In this story, a sower dropped seed on the path, on rocky ground, and among thorns where the seed was lost in all of them. But when seed fell on good earth it grew, yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.
But one thing we must remember is even when the soil is good, we must tend to our garden or it will get over overrun with weeds. We must tend to the things that can plague our progress.
Galatians 5:7 says: You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?
In Genesis 3 the Bible says the serpent was crafty. We as believers should understand that Satan is far more crafty then we even understand. His goal is to break our stride and get us to stumble with the ultimate result of getting us to no longer obey the truth and attempt to complete the race with our own legalistic self-effort.
One example of this is instead of setting goals of holiness, we measure our behaviors with others. We start thinking that at least we are doing "better than them."
Hebrews 12:7-11
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Holiness requires discipline; not only discipline from the father, but also discipline in our own lives. Hardship in life can effect us in two ways. It can either make us better or it can make us bitter; and bitterness defiles many.
Hebrews 12:14-15 says: Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
We must let this discipline have its full effect and be trained by it. Hardship is like a piece of sandpaper. It hurts, but it will eventually make us smooth and shiny.
With this in mind as we look back at Philippians 3:12-14, what standard are we supposed to live up to? How do we reach the goal God has set for us? There are three things to keep in mind.
1. We must be honest with ourselves about the things that plague our progress.
2. We must forget past sins, failures, and successes.
3. We must remember the Christian life is not a game. It is a race that demands our very best.
Too many Christians live divided lives. One part enjoys the things of the world and the other part tries to live for the Lord. To guard against this, we must consistently tend to the garden of our heart.
Pastor Tim Olson